repairing cracked Ipol rib

[jaykimball]

I am thinking about buying a 1960 Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer (26' LOA, teak plank riveted on ipol ribs). There are three adjacent ribes in the vacinity of the port chainplate that are cracked, about 12" down from the inderside of the deck.

I have read the various threads in this forum on repairing broken ribs. I will likely replace the rib, or grave in a laminated section. Most of the previous discussion stresses using wood of the same type. Can anyone offer suggestions on where to get Ipol, or a suitable alternative wood type.

Thanks, jay

[cbob]

Jay, Suggest you check with the guys at Flounder Bay Lumber, Anacortes, the wood butcher shops in Port Townsend, or all those boat lumber adds in the back of a WB. Wouldn't be surprised if white oak will be most prominent response. If you can replace the entire length of the frame, without disturbing the main deck and using the existing fastening holes, a little more work, but a better job, and using the original size fastenings. Seasons best and good luck. Nice Boats those. cbob

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Forumite Hughman has one of Cheoy Lee's Frisco Flyers. 1961 I think. I was sitting in the cockpit last week. (Inside it's bow roof shed) Very nice boats! If you can't find Ipol (and I've never seen any) try white oak, black locust, even old growth douglas fir. Maybe Bob Smalser could set you up with some.

Keep us posted.

Steven

[Bob Cleek]

I have a 1963 Cheoy Lee Vertue, probably built by some of the same guys who built your boat. (Dwarfs with six foot long arms, they were.... how they reached some of those places, I'll never know!) I guess ipol was what they had for bending wood, so that's what they used. I had the same problem here and there. The ipol seems somewhat short grained and fatigues and breaks along a line where a rivet went through, usually at a sharp bend. Sistered maybe six frames and completely replaced seven, as I recall. It was done with oak epoxy laminated in place. They've held fine for over ten years now with no problems.

If you have cracked frames in a line on a plank seam right at the chainplates, that's not likely fatigue, but more likely some sort of damage, probably from tensions on the chainplates. By all means attend to it promptly, since its all "structural," but this is a lot more structural than an isolated fatigue-cracked frame at the turn of the bilge.

I suppose specialty lumberyards may be able to provide some, but it sure wouldn't be worth the trouble or cost. Use good oak. The epoxy will keep it lasting as long as the ipol, I'm sure.

[cbob]

Jay, Looks like three to nothing for white oak. I have more than 30 some, 20+ year old laminated red oak sisters, all as good as when fitted, but epoxied to the inside of the palnking on a strip planked job. Not recommended for carvel. Remove the upper sections above the break, assuming the lower sections are sound, one at a time while afloat, rip some equal sided +, white oak strips, thin enough to bend fairly easily, fair the lower remainder to a suitable scarph angle? 3 plank overlap if possible, laminate the new section in place, over plastic sheet so no epoxy adhesion to innesr side of planking, or remaing lower part of original frame, stll unfastened.
Removew and fair up the new laminated upper part to a suitable fit, encapsulate in more epoxy if you prefer, using existing fastening holes, epoxy the scarph, but not on the frame to planking faces. All three could be done at once, or the middle one and then the others, if there is no concern for loss of shape, which could be most likely in the (stressed chain plate area), bar tight shrouds etc. Much merit with previous posts. Luck, cbob

[jaykimball]

Gents,

Thanks for all the good thoughts. Very helpful. I will keep you apprised as I proceed. I live on Orcas Island, so know the Flounder Bay shop well. Cbob, thanks for the the improvement on the MacNoughton "graving" technique. Your recommendation uses the fact that it is near topside to best effect - a definite improvement.

I will see if I can pull the whole rib, but am unsure how it joins the beam, and want to avoid pulling planks.

All the best, jay